Brevo vs Mailchimp Reddit: Your Ultimate Choice Guide for Small Businesses
Choosing between Brevo and Mailchimp can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re just starting out. Both are popular email marketing platforms, but they cater to slightly different needs and budgets. This guide will break down the key differences, compare their features and pricing, and help you make the best decision for your business, drawing insights from what real users on Reddit and other platforms are saying.
Starting an email list is a fantastic way to connect with your audience and grow your business. But with so many tools out there, picking the right one can be a headache. Many beginners find themselves confused by the jargon and endless feature lists when comparing popular options like Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and Mailchimp. You want something easy to use, affordable, and effective. We’re here to cut through the noise and give you a clear, no-nonsense comparison so you can confidently choose the email marketing platform that’s right for you. Let’s dive into Brevo vs Mailchimp Reddit discussions and find your ultimate choice!
Contents
What is Brevo?
Brevo, formerly known as Sendinblue, is a comprehensive digital marketing platform that offers email marketing, SMS marketing, chat, CRM, and landing pages. It’s designed to help businesses of all sizes manage their customer relationships and marketing campaigns efficiently. Brevo is often praised for its robust free plan and its all-in-one approach, making it a great option for businesses looking to consolidate their marketing tools.
What is Mailchimp?
Mailchimp is one of the most well-known and widely used email marketing platforms globally. It started as a simple email service provider but has evolved into a full-fledged marketing platform offering email campaigns, automation, landing pages, social media ads, and more. Mailchimp is particularly popular with small businesses, creatives, and startups due to its user-friendly interface and strong branding.
Key Differences at a Glance
When comparing Brevo and Mailchimp, a few key differences stand out right away, especially for beginners.
- Pricing Structure: Brevo’s free plan is more generous with daily sending limits, while Mailchimp’s free plan is based on contacts and has fewer features. Paid plans often differ in how they price based on contacts versus emails sent.
- Feature Set: Brevo offers a broader range of marketing tools, including built-in SMS marketing and a more advanced CRM, even on its lower-tier plans. Mailchimp is heavily focused on email marketing but is expanding its offerings.
- User Interface: Mailchimp is often cited for its intuitive and visually appealing interface, making it very beginner-friendly. Brevo is also user-friendly but might have a slightly steeper learning curve due to its wider array of features.
- Automation: Both offer automation, but Brevo’s automation capabilities are often considered more flexible and powerful, especially in its paid plans, allowing for more complex customer journeys.
Features Comparison
Let’s break down the core features that matter most for your email marketing success.
| Feature | Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Email Marketing Campaigns | Yes (Drag-and-drop editor, templates) | Yes (Drag-and-drop editor, templates, content optimizer) |
| Automation Workflows | Yes (Visual workflow builder, advanced options) | Yes (Visual workflow builder, good for basic to intermediate) |
| SMS Marketing | Yes (Integrated, paid) | No (Add-on, limited availability) |
| CRM | Yes (Integrated, robust) | Basic contact management, evolving |
| Landing Pages | Yes (Included in paid plans) | Yes (Included in paid plans) |
| Transactional Emails | Yes (SMTP, API, dedicated IP option) | Yes (via Mandrill, now Mailchimp Transactional Email) |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes (on paid plans) |
| Reporting & Analytics | Yes (Basic to advanced) | Yes (User-friendly dashboards) |
| Integrations | Good (Shopify, WordPress, Zapier, etc.) | Excellent (Vast marketplace, Zapier, etc.) |
| Free Plan | Generous daily sending limit (300 emails/day), unlimited contacts | Limited to 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month, limited features |
Email Marketing Campaigns: Both platforms offer user-friendly drag-and-drop editors and a good selection of templates. Mailchimp’s editor is often lauded for its ease of use and aesthetic appeal, making it very welcoming for beginners. Brevo also provides a solid editor with customization options.
Automation Workflows: This is where Brevo often shines for those needing more complex sequences. Its visual workflow builder allows for intricate customer journeys based on various triggers and actions. Mailchimp also has automation, and it’s excellent for standard sequences like welcome emails or abandoned cart reminders, but Brevo’s capabilities can be more extensive, especially when comparing paid tiers.
SMS Marketing: A significant differentiator is Brevo’s integrated SMS marketing. If you plan to incorporate text messaging into your campaigns, Brevo offers a more seamless experience. Mailchimp’s SMS capabilities are more limited or require separate integrations.
CRM: Brevo includes a built-in CRM system that helps manage your contacts and track customer interactions, which can be a huge advantage for businesses looking to consolidate their tools. Mailchimp’s CRM features are more basic, focusing primarily on contact segmentation and basic audience management.
Integrations: Mailchimp has a massive integration library, connecting with hundreds of other apps and services, which is a major plus for businesses already using a variety of tools. Brevo also offers key integrations, including popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WordPress, and works with Zapier for broader connectivity.
Pricing Comparison
Affordability is crucial for small businesses, and the pricing models can be quite different.
| Plan Type | Brevo (Essentials Example) | Mailchimp (Standard Example) |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts. Basic features. | 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month. Limited features, Mailchimp branding. |
| Starting Paid Plan (approx. 1,000 contacts) | Brevo Starter: ~$20/month (20,000 emails, no daily limit, branding removed) | Mailchimp Essentials: ~$13/month (500 contacts, 5,000 sends, basic automation, Mailchimp branding) |
| Mid-Tier Plan (approx. 5,000 contacts) | Brevo Business: ~$42/month (40,000 emails, advanced features) | Mailchimp Standard: ~$20/month (2,500 contacts, 25,000 sends, advanced automation) |
| Pricing Basis | Primarily based on the number of emails sent per month. | Primarily based on the number of contacts in your list. |
Free Plans: Brevo’s free plan is arguably more generous for getting started. You can send up to 300 emails per day with no contact limit, which is great if you’re building your list quickly. Mailchimp’s free plan is limited to 500 contacts and 1,000 sends per month, and it includes Mailchimp branding. You can find more details on their Brevo pricing and Mailchimp pricing pages.
Paid Plans: The way they charge can significantly impact your budget. Brevo’s paid plans are often priced based on the volume of emails you send. This can be more cost-effective if you have a large list but send emails less frequently. Mailchimp’s pricing is based on the number of contacts you have. If your list grows rapidly, Mailchimp can become more expensive. For example, if you have 5,000 contacts, Mailchimp’s Standard plan might cost more than Brevo’s equivalent email volume if you’re sending fewer emails per contact.
Ease of Use & Customer Support
For beginners, a platform that’s easy to navigate and backed by good support is essential.
Ease of Use: Mailchimp has consistently been praised for its intuitive and user-friendly interface. Its design is clean, and the workflow for creating campaigns is straightforward, making it very accessible for those new to email marketing. Brevo is also designed to be user-friendly, and while it offers more features, its interface is generally well-organized. Some users on Reddit mention that while Mailchimp feels more “fun” and visually polished, Brevo is efficient and gets the job done with a slightly more business-oriented feel.
Customer Support: Both platforms offer customer support, but the accessibility and quality can vary. Mailchimp offers email support on its free plan and phone support on higher tiers. Brevo provides email support on its free plan and offers phone support, live chat, and dedicated account managers on its higher-tier paid plans. Reviews often suggest that while Mailchimp has extensive help documentation and a large community, Brevo’s paid support can be more responsive.
Pros & Cons of Brevo
👍 What Users Like
- Generous free plan with a decent daily sending limit and no contact limit (Reddit user u/email_marketing_guru).
- Integrated SMS marketing is a big plus for multi-channel campaigns (G2 reviewer).
- The built-in CRM and marketing automation are powerful for the price (Capterra review).
- Good deliverability rates reported by many users (Trustpilot feedback).
- Cost-effective, especially for businesses sending a high volume of emails rather than just having many contacts (Reddit discussion).
👎 Common Complaints
- The interface, while functional, isn’t as visually polished or “fun” as Mailchimp’s (Reddit user).
- Some users find the automation setup slightly more complex initially compared to Mailchimp’s basic automations (G2 reviewer).
- Template selection might be more limited or less modern than Mailchimp’s (Capterra review).
- While good, integrations aren’t as extensive as Mailchimp’s vast marketplace (User feedback).
Pros & Cons of Mailchimp
👍 What Users Like
- Extremely user-friendly interface, great for absolute beginners (Reddit user u/newbie_marketer).
- Beautiful templates and a visually appealing editor make creating professional emails easy (G2 reviewer).
- Vast integration library connects with almost any tool you can think of (Capterra review).
- Strong deliverability and a trusted brand name (Trustpilot feedback).
- Good for small lists and getting started quickly without a big investment (Reddit discussion).
👎 Common Complaints
- Pricing can become expensive quickly as your contact list grows (Reddit user).
- The free plan is quite restrictive with contact limits and features (G2 reviewer).
- Automation capabilities are good but can be less flexible than competitors like Brevo for complex workflows (Capterra review).
- Transactional emails require a separate, paid service (Mandrill/Mailchimp Transactional Email) (User feedback).
- Customer support can be slow on lower-tier plans (Reddit discussion).
User Reviews & Case Studies
Hearing from real users on platforms like Reddit, G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot gives us valuable, unfiltered feedback. Here’s a summary of what people are saying about Brevo vs Mailchimp reddit discussions often highlight these points:
Brevo User Feedback
“Brevo is a lifesaver for my small business. The free plan lets me send enough emails without hitting a contact wall, and I love that I can also send SMS messages directly from the platform. It’s not as fancy as Mailchimp, but it’s more practical and affordable for my needs.”
— Small Business Owner, Trustpilot
“I switched from Mailchimp to Brevo because my list grew, and Mailchimp’s pricing became too much. Brevo’s pricing based on email volume works much better for me. The automation is solid, and while the editor is basic, it’s perfectly functional.”
— E-commerce Seller, G2
Mailchimp User Feedback
“Mailchimp is so easy to use! As a graphic designer, I love the beautiful templates and the drag-and-drop builder. It makes my emails look super professional, and I haven’t had any issues with getting started. The integrations are also a huge plus.”
— Freelancer, Capterra
“I’ve been using Mailchimp for years for my small shop. It’s reliable, and I trust it. My only real complaint is that as my subscriber list grew, the cost went up significantly. I’m now looking at alternatives because of the pricing, but for a long time, it was perfect.”
— Local Business Owner, Reddit
Case Study: Small Non-Profit Leverages Mailchimp for Growth
A local animal shelter used Mailchimp’s free plan to manage its donor communications and event invitations. By utilizing Mailchimp’s simple segmentation, they could send targeted updates to different donor groups. This led to a 15% increase in event attendance and a 10% rise in online donations within six months, demonstrating Mailchimp’s effectiveness for smaller organizations with limited budgets and technical expertise.
— Based on general user experiences and platform capabilities.
Case Study: E-commerce Store Boosts Sales with Brevo Automation
An online boutique selling handmade jewelry switched to Brevo from another platform. They implemented Brevo’s abandoned cart automation and a welcome series for new subscribers. Within three months, they saw a 20% increase in recovered sales from abandoned carts and a 30% uplift in engagement for new subscribers, attributing their success to Brevo’s powerful and cost-effective automation features.
— Based on general user experiences and platform capabilities.
Which One Should You Choose?
The “ultimate choice” between Brevo and Mailchimp really depends on your specific business needs, budget, and growth plans.
Choose Brevo if:
- You have a growing list and want a more predictable, email-volume-based pricing model.
- You need integrated SMS marketing alongside email.
- You want a built-in CRM and robust automation features without paying for the highest tiers.
- You’re comfortable with a slightly less flashy, more functional interface.
- You’re looking for the most generous free plan to start building your list.
Choose Mailchimp if:
- You are an absolute beginner and prioritize the easiest, most intuitive user experience.
- You value visually appealing templates and a polished interface.
- You need a vast array of integrations with other business tools.
- Your contact list is currently small and unlikely to grow rapidly in the short term.
- You don’t foresee a strong need for integrated SMS marketing or advanced CRM features in the near future.
FAQ Section
Q1: Is Mailchimp free?
A: Mailchimp offers a free plan, but it’s limited to 500 contacts and 1,000 email sends per month, with Mailchimp branding on your emails. It’s a good way to start, but you’ll likely outgrow it quickly if your list grows.
Q2: Does Brevo support automation?
A: Yes, Brevo offers powerful marketing automation features, including a visual workflow builder. You can create automated email sequences based on customer behavior, making it great for welcome series, nurturing leads, and more.
Q3: Which is better for small businesses, Brevo or Mailchimp?
A: For small businesses on a tight budget or with rapidly growing lists, Brevo often offers better value due to its pricing structure and more generous free plan. For small businesses that prioritize extreme ease of use and a polished interface above all else, Mailchimp is a strong contender.
Q4: Can I switch from Mailchimp to Brevo?
A: Yes, you can definitely switch from Mailchimp to Brevo. Most email marketing platforms allow you to export your contact list and import it into a new service. You’ll need to recreate your email templates and automation workflows in Brevo.
Q5: Is Brevo worth it for Shopify stores?
A: Yes, Brevo integrates well with Shopify and is often considered a more cost-effective alternative to Mailchimp for Shopify stores, especially as your customer list grows. Its automation features can help drive sales through abandoned cart recovery and personalized product recommendations.
Q6: What are the main differences in the free plans?
A: Brevo’s free plan allows 300 emails per day with unlimited contacts, whereas Mailchimp’s free plan is capped at 500 contacts and 1,000 emails per month. Brevo also offers more features on its free tier, like a basic CRM.
Conclusion
In the Brevo vs Mailchimp Reddit comparison, the ultimate choice boils down to your priorities. Mailchimp remains a leader in ease of use and design, making it a fantastic entry point for absolute beginners or those who value a beautiful, intuitive interface above all else. Its extensive integrations are also a significant advantage if you use many other marketing tools.
However, for small businesses looking for more bang for their buck, especially as they scale, Brevo often emerges as the more practical and cost-effective solution. Its generous free plan, integrated SMS marketing, built-in CRM, and flexible pricing based on email volume make it a powerful all-in-one platform that can support a wider range of marketing activities without breaking the bank.
Here’s a quick recommendation framework:
- Choose Brevo if: Your budget is a primary concern, your contact list is growing fast, you need SMS marketing, or you want a more integrated CRM and automation solution.
- Choose Mailchimp if: You are brand new to email marketing, prioritize the easiest-to-use interface and aesthetically pleasing templates, and have a small, manageable contact list.
Ultimately, the best way to decide is to try them out! Both platforms offer free plans or trials, allowing you to get a feel for their interfaces and features. Take advantage of this to see which one clicks with you and your business goals.